Credit Card Perks for the Holidays

While holiday shopping with cash is self-limiting and perhaps prudent in these slow times, using your plastic can have tons of advantages. It’s time to take your credit cards out of the freezer and enjoy these holiday freebies.

Most bank debit cards have Visa and MasterCard automatic discounts for shopping at certain merchants offering at least 5% off. “Visa Extras” or “Purchase Rewards” is the most popular debit card rewards program with no fuss and no muss – just enroll through your bank and the rewards are automatic. Visit Visa Extras Rewards Program for complete details.

MasterCard is now offering free two-day shipping this holiday season at top e-commerce sites. Best Buy, QVC, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Walmart are offering the free MasterCard shipping perk. Go to Free Shipping by MasterCard to sign up for the program.

Simply make your purchase with a MasterCard credit or debit card, email your order confirmation showing the 2-day shipping charge and you will receive a statement credit for the cost of two-day shipping up to $20 per order up to a maximum of $500 per 6-month subscription.

You can upgrade the free shipping program to a broader set of participating merchants through the premium service for an annual fee of $69 and enjoy credits of up to $20 per 2-day shipping charge and up to $1,500 per year at over two dozen additional brand-name participating merchants, including Nordstrom, JCPenney, GameStop, Home Depot, Sephora, and Shutterfly.

Discover cardholders can sign up now to get 5% Cashback Bonus on up to $1,500 in purchases through December for online shopping for things like apparel, electronics, toys, gifts and more. After making $1,500 in online purchases, Discover cardmembers still automatically earn their standard Cashback Bonus on all other purchases. Visit Discover’s website or call 1-800-DISCOVER (347-2683) to nail this perk.

Personal finance journalist helping consumers enjoy & appreciate money management for over 10 years. Always on the hunt for new trends and products in the payment industry. Enthusiast for all things in food, wine and travel.

View News by Date

Advertising Disclaimer: CardTrak.com continues a 30+ year legacy by providing extensive and unbiased news and lists of credit cards and payment cards that are available. It is free of charge for any credit card issuer to have their cards listed on CardTrak.com. We do our best to maintain accurate rates and information listed on our site, but do not guarantee the accuracy of the data. It is your responsibility to read the cardholder agreements before agreeing to accept any new card accounts. Issuers cannot improve the position of their listings on CardTrak.com by purchasing or upgrading their position.